Cyber safety coming to Marion

Classes start soon

Published: Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 6:14 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 6:14 p.m.

High-ranking national security officials warned over the summer that cyber attacks are now the biggest threat to the United States, costing citizens and companies around the globe at least $250 billion annually.

When declaring October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, President Obama recently called cyber crime one of the most serious economic threats that the United States will face in the coming years.

U.S Army Gen. Keith Alexander, director of the National Security Agency, said last week that since the United States invented the Internet that American experts should be the first to secure it.

As such threats rise along the information superhighway, local educators say it's time to keep pace with one of the nation's fastest growing professions: computer security.

Community Technical Adult Education (CTAE) is finalizing plans for a year-long Applied Cybersecurity course, expected to begin in January.

Scott Carpenter, program manager for the CTAE public service branch, said the curriculum was just recently approved and supplied by the Florida Department of Education. Marion will be among the first education centers statewide to roll out the program.

Raul Roman was hired as the instructor for the two-semester class, which will cost about $3,100. That includes tuition, books, lab fees and other costs. Students can apply for federal grants and other forms of financial aid.

Roman, who worked for Florida Department of Revenue in computer security for Marion, Putnam and Clay counties, was ready for a change.

Roman said students do not have to have any prior computer training, though they must pass a 20-question basic computer literacy test. The course will teach students techniques in protecting computers from cyber threats.

"It's specialized training that other people do not have," Roman said.

CTAE will hold three information sessions about January's 600-hour course at the CTAE center on State Road 200. Those sessions will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 16, Oct. 30 and Nov. 6.

In the first semester, students will take Cybersecurity Associate, learning Information Technology (IT) fundamentals. In the second semester, students will take Information Security Administrator, where they will learn security assessment techniques.

To attend January classes, applications are due Nov. 9, while applications for fall 2013 classes are due April 25.

Carpenter said the program is open to anyone with a high school diploma or General Equivalency Development diploma.

Students also must undergo a drug screening and criminal background check. They need such security scrutiny because students, as part of the course objectives, will learn ways to hack into computers. In order to protect them, they must know the threats associated with the profession.

"It's called ethical hacking," Carpenter said.

Roman said some companies even hire employees whose sole job is to hack into internal classified computer systems. If they do, they can help find solutions to correct it before the bad guys try to infiltrate the system.

"The line between cyber security and hacking is very slim," Roman noted.

At the conclusion of the program, students will take a high-level "Security+ Certified" certification exam. Once they pass it, they would be certified to work in cybersecurity for companies around the country.

Forest High Principal Chester Gregory said Tuesday that the county's largest high school also is offering the same cybersecurity curriculum, though it will take students three to four years to complete the entire course.

"Once they (students) completed it, they will also be able to take the Security+ exam," said Forest High cybersecurity teacher Loretta Young.

Workforce Connection, a local business-led organization that spearheads job training skills for residents in Citrus, Levy and Marion counties, recently studied the job prospects and pay for a computer security professional.

It found that between 2011 — when there were 161 jobs in computer security — and 2019, the need for computer security specialists in this part of Florida should grow by 24 percent. Statewide, the agency projects that there will be a 21 percent increase in the need for such jobs. Nationally, the study shows there will be 108,000 computer security job openings.

Nationally, the current salary range is about $32,000 for a new employee to $100,000 — and up for supervisors — for employees with 11 to 19 years of experience, according to one computer security job analysis.

Carpenter is hoping the program will put Marion County on the map as a place that is providing quality cyber computer experts. His goal is that some of the nation's largest companies will be so impressed with CTAE's graduates that it will want to hire everyone who passes the Security+ exam.

Carpenter also hopes large businesses will see what Marion has to offer and locate locally, which means more jobs.

"All it takes is one," said Carpenter, meaning that once one major company comes that others may follow.

Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.

<p>High-ranking national security officials warned over the summer that cyber attacks are now the biggest threat to the United States, costing citizens and companies around the globe at least $250 billion annually.</p><p>When declaring October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, President Obama recently called cyber crime one of the most serious economic threats that the United States will face in the coming years.</p><p>U.S Army Gen. Keith Alexander, director of the National Security Agency, said last week that since the United States invented the Internet that American experts should be the first to secure it.</p><p>As such threats rise along the information superhighway, local educators say it's time to keep pace with one of the nation's fastest growing professions: computer security.</p><p>Community Technical Adult Education (CTAE) is finalizing plans for a year-long Applied Cybersecurity course, expected to begin in January.</p><p>Scott Carpenter, program manager for the CTAE public service branch, said the curriculum was just recently approved and supplied by the Florida Department of Education. Marion will be among the first education centers statewide to roll out the program.</p><p>Raul Roman was hired as the instructor for the two-semester class, which will cost about $3,100. That includes tuition, books, lab fees and other costs. Students can apply for federal grants and other forms of financial aid.</p><p>Roman, who worked for Florida Department of Revenue in computer security for Marion, Putnam and Clay counties, was ready for a change.</p><p>Roman said students do not have to have any prior computer training, though they must pass a 20-question basic computer literacy test. The course will teach students techniques in protecting computers from cyber threats.</p><p>"It's specialized training that other people do not have," Roman said.</p><p>CTAE will hold three information sessions about January's 600-hour course at the CTAE center on State Road 200. Those sessions will be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 16, Oct. 30 and Nov. 6.</p><p>In the first semester, students will take Cybersecurity Associate, learning Information Technology (IT) fundamentals. In the second semester, students will take Information Security Administrator, where they will learn security assessment techniques.</p><p>To attend January classes, applications are due Nov. 9, while applications for fall 2013 classes are due April 25.</p><p>Carpenter said the program is open to anyone with a high school diploma or General Equivalency Development diploma.</p><p>Students also must undergo a drug screening and criminal background check. They need such security scrutiny because students, as part of the course objectives, will learn ways to hack into computers. In order to protect them, they must know the threats associated with the profession.</p><p>"It's called ethical hacking," Carpenter said.</p><p>Roman said some companies even hire employees whose sole job is to hack into internal classified computer systems. If they do, they can help find solutions to correct it before the bad guys try to infiltrate the system.</p><p>"The line between cyber security and hacking is very slim," Roman noted.</p><p>At the conclusion of the program, students will take a high-level "Security+ Certified" certification exam. Once they pass it, they would be certified to work in cybersecurity for companies around the country.</p><p>Forest High Principal Chester Gregory said Tuesday that the county's largest high school also is offering the same cybersecurity curriculum, though it will take students three to four years to complete the entire course.</p><p>"Once they (students) completed it, they will also be able to take the Security+ exam," said Forest High cybersecurity teacher Loretta Young.</p><p>Workforce Connection, a local business-led organization that spearheads job training skills for residents in Citrus, Levy and Marion counties, recently studied the job prospects and pay for a computer security professional.</p><p>It found that between 2011 — when there were 161 jobs in computer security — and 2019, the need for computer security specialists in this part of Florida should grow by 24 percent. Statewide, the agency projects that there will be a 21 percent increase in the need for such jobs. Nationally, the study shows there will be 108,000 computer security job openings.</p><p>Nationally, the current salary range is about $32,000 for a new employee to $100,000 — and up for supervisors — for employees with 11 to 19 years of experience, according to one computer security job analysis.</p><p>Carpenter is hoping the program will put Marion County on the map as a place that is providing quality cyber computer experts. His goal is that some of the nation's largest companies will be so impressed with CTAE's graduates that it will want to hire everyone who passes the Security+ exam.</p><p>Carpenter also hopes large businesses will see what Marion has to offer and locate locally, which means more jobs.</p><p>"All it takes is one," said Carpenter, meaning that once one major company comes that others may follow.</p><p><i>Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.</i></p>